I love the lights. I love bundling up in blankets at night. I love the music, the nostalgia when a Classic Christmas movie comes on, the constant stream of Amazon boxes arriving at my doorstep, the smell of pine in the house, the snow falling outside...oh wait. ;) I love drinking Egg Nog and Gingerbread Lattes from Starbucks. And this year seems especially exciting with new family traditions taking shape and the growing anticipation and excitement in my kids' eyes whenever they see Santa. Jaedon is a happy energetic 4 yr old, and Camryn is almost 2, with her animated personality and rewarding gasps and squeals. It's so fun! I think Christmas morning is going to be a blast. We sense that the kids are going to feed on each other's excitement. lol!
I was wondering something the other day... are traditions usually planned out, or do they just take shape naturally among families? I love traditions and want to make sure that my kids grow up with memorable ones!! So far we have a tradition of going to the same little pinery place each year and picking our 7' tree. I make sure to get a family photo of all of us there looking all Christmas-y. :) I also like to get the kids pjs and ornaments that reflect one of their biggest interests from the year and have them open them on Christmas Eve. Hopefully I will start being more consistent with that. :) For Christmas day we usually have family over to our house and make a big home cooked meal. We usually do an adult gift exchange (or rather a gift exchange amongst the adults... That could be taken the wrong way) where you steal from each other. I love that game but we are scratching it this year and just focusing on the kids because times are tougher. Another thing that we are doing this year, that I'm really excited about is staying in a hotel right across the street from Disneyland on New Year's Eve and going to the parks the next day!! Can't wait! Maybe that will become a tradition... we'll see. As the kids get bigger, I'd like to add a Christmas play to the list of holiday events. :) But something I remember as a kid that I LOVED (and it was really simple) was our Christmas movie night picnics. :) My mom would lay a blanket out on the floor in front of the TV and fireplace and bring us vanilla ice cream balls rolled in graham crackers. We'd eat them while watching all the best Christmas movies!! Like Rudolph and Frosty the Snowman. I think I'm going to have to continue that one!! :D I'd love to hear everyone's traditions... please feel free to comment and fill me in!
The other day, I took the kids to Lakeside to visit aunt Sandy and the girls. There is a man in her area who decks his house out every year, complete with a golf cart sleigh trailing behind a herd of wooden reindeer!! Yes... he transformed a golf cart into a sleigh and made an attachment on the front that houses 5 reindeer!! And he dresses up as Santa and gives people rides in it!! Sandy told me about it last year but this year was our first time! It was such a neat thing to do! I can't believe I didn't get a picture of it!!! I got video but not picture! :( Camryn was SO excited!! She was staring up at the man in the red suit, yelling "Hi Santa Clausss!" "Hi Santa Clauss!!" (emphasis on the s as if it rhymed with gloss) When it was our turn to get on she couldn't take her eyes off him, still saying "Santa Clausss! Santa Clausss!" At the end of the ride, "Santa" steps out of the sleigh and starts coughing a bit and the teeny little voice snuggled by my side says "Bless you Santa". Ohmigoodness!! She was just too much!! Jaedon was snuggled up in the front with his aunt and cousin, just quietly taking it all in. :)
Anyway... here are some pictures:
At the pinery:
Our traditional family photo :)
Watching a Christmas Tigger and Pooh movie together on the couch :)
This one was taken at the house with the sleigh :) ...Poor Gwen looks a little like rudolph with her red nose. She took a fall the day before :(
1 comment:
Cute!!! I don't remember the graham cracker balls, but I remember the blanket and Christmas movies! :)
I remember Mom always playing The Beach Boys Christmas album and I love that Christmas album :) I also love that little Santa she had with the candy canes always hanging out of his little bag!! :)
This Christmas went by to fast to even get a chance to breathe and enjoy it. It felt rushed to me or something! Although that sleigh ride and Christmas walk viewing all the lights was fun!!! :) I have to remember to get Christmas shopping done as early as possible next year so I can just relax and have time to just sit and watch Christmas movies with the girls. :) Our tradition is opening all the gifts from each other on Christmas Eve! Then we always put out cookies and milk for Santa and a carrot for the reindeer! :) The kids LOVE looking to see if Santa drank his milk and ate his cookies! And Rudolph gets his carrot too! :)
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